As Josiah’s team rebuilt God’s temple, in ruins after generations of neglect, they found God’s Book buried in obscurity. At age 26 Josiah read God’s Word for the first time, and took him to his knees.
Josiah had not known that God had written down instructions. He had not heard the promises of warning and blessing based on obedience. And now his heart was exposed to God’s Word for the first time, and it convicted him to the core.
Josiah did not realize the wrath of God was against him and the people. “Great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our ancestors have not obeyed the words of this book in order to do everything written about us.” 2 Kings 22:13 The clock had been ticking all the time God’s Word had been buried, and judgment was closer than they had realized.
Josiah, a man before God and a king before his nation, Josiah invited God’s Word to change their thinking.
- Josiah recognized that some things had to go. We’re going to live differently.
- Josiah repented of how his nation had walked away from God. We’ve been wrong, and we’ve turning around.
- Josiah and his people returned to the Lord. We’re leaving this sin behind us. We want what God has for us.
Josiah mission was again clear: Revive us, Lord! We need a downpour!
God blessed Josiah’s tender heart and his compassion for his people. In holiness God could not overlook evil that had been done, but He held back the clock so this repentant generation would not experience consequences.
Revival begins here: with a profound awareness of God’s absolute holiness, our absolute sinfulness, and our inability to bridge the divide that separates us. Revival always begins with God reaching down to us – not in a tickle of blessing but in a deluge of Himself that covers our past and welcomes us to begin again.
Josiah life should be inspiration to all of us. Finding a hide treasure, a manual for living, instructions how to lead and guide a nation, he accepted what God said in His Word. He obey the Word of God, and He gave a charge to the nation to repent and return to God.
Is God’s Word still refreshing to you? Is it a live? As I teach adults and young adults, I emphasis that God’s Word is a Living Word of God and it is real and powerful for our daily living. “For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as to divide soul, spirit, joints, and marrow; it is a judge of the ideas and thoughts of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
No comments:
Post a Comment